Latest news with #Okayama
Japan Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan's ‘Middle Country' bank is puzzling Chinese tourists
Chugoku Bank is a small Japanese lender named after the central Japanese region where it's based. But it is having to turn away Chinese would-be customers convinced they have come across a branch of the global giant Bank of China. That's because, when written in Japanese, its name is identical to the name of its Beijing-headquartered peer. It literally translates to "Middle Country Bank' in English. Some branches are dealing with confused Chinese tourists "every day' according to a spokeswoman for the bank. That's prompted the lender, a unit of Tokyo-listed Chugin Financial Group, to post Chinese-language signs explaining that the two are unrelated. Japan has become a booming tourist destination since COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, and those travelers are increasingly venturing deeper into Japan's regions, including Okayama Prefecture, where Chugoku Bank is based. Some 765,100 visitors arrived from China in April, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization show, more than from any other country, and a 43.4% rise in numbers from a year earlier. Still, the news has sparked debate on social media, including a post by outspoken Chinese diplomat Zhang Heqing questioning why the bank chose the name in the first place.
Times of Oman
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Thousands evacuated as wildfires continue to spread in western Japan
Tokyo: Firefighters in western Japan are continuing their efforts to extinguish forest fires that broke out in Okayama and Ehime prefectures, forcing around 2,800 people to evacuate their homes, amid growing fears that the flames could spread to other residential areas. Aerial footage showed Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters participating in the firefighting efforts, according to Kyodo News. The fires, which broke out on Sunday, burned about 250 hectares of land in the cities of Okayama and Tamano, while the fires in Ehime had consumed 119 hectares in Imabari by this morning. Although no injuries have been reported so far, local authorities reported the burning of several homes in Okayama Prefecture. Emergency teams are continuing to assess the damage and take additional measures to protect residents and prevent the situation from worsening. Japan regularly suffers from forest fires, especially during dry seasons with strong winds. The climatic factors and mountainous terrain make fires spread quickly and are difficult to control.
